All set for five-day Rottela Panduga

Nellore: The stage is all set for the five-day Rottela Panduga, ‘the Bread Festival’ scheduled to be held from July 17 to July 21 at Baara Shaheed Dargah in Nellore city.

This festival meant for Hindu- Muslim communal harmony begins on July 17, which is an auspicious day for Hindus and Toli Ekadasi also falls this time on same day (Wednesday).

Expecting around 20 lakh devotees from across the country and foreign nations like Sri Lanka, China and Arabian countries for the five-day festival, the district administration has made elaborate arrangements to meet the pilgrim rush.

Entire dargah premises has been divided into seven zones in the interest of maintaining sanitation with 5,000 municipal staff. Police administration has made adequate police Bandobast with total 2,000 staff in various capacities being deployed.

For law & order purpose, the police department divided the Bara Shaheed Dargah into four sectors like main area, ghat area, traffic and parking areas.

In view of avoiding traffic congestion, three important traffic diversion points and 25 parking places were identified. According to sources, as many as 52 CC cameras and drones were set up at the entire dargah premises. Police have taken the dargah premises into their control since Tuesday evening. As part of security measures, anti-saborate checking was carried out at dargah premises and services of the dog squad have also been utilised.

SP Krishna Kanth conducted a review meeting on Tuesday and directed the officials to take all measures to prevent untoward incidents during the five-day event.

As per the ritual, the devotees take holy dip in the Nellore Tank (Swarnala Chevruvu) and exchange bread (Rottelu) on the last day (fifth day) of the festival.

Over the years, the Bara Shaheed dargah has turned into a popular pilgrimage centre as the devotees firmly believe that the 12 martyrs will bless the people who visit the dargah during the annual fete and their wishes will be fulfilled.

According to the legend, in 1751 as many as 12 Muslim warriors belonging to Bidar of Karnataka, were on a mission to promote Hindu Muslim unity after pilgrimage to Mecca. They confronted with an army headed by Chola king called Valaja at Gandavaram village in Kodavaluru mandal of Nellore district and their heads were cut off in the war.

Even though they were beheaded, they rode on their horses with trunks up to Durgamitta area in Nellore city located at a distance of 25 km before they were dead.

Very next day the warriors appeared in the dream of a Muslim priest and asked him to construct 12 tombs in their memory at the site where their headless bodies were lying. Since the day the area was called ‘Dargamitta’ instead of ‘Durgamitta.’

Devotees believe that who take part in the annual festival would be blessed by the 12 martyrs. Every year devotees visit the dargah during the annual event after their wishes are fulfilled as thanksgiving and leave Rottelu in the holy tank for others to pick them up for fulfillment of their wishes.